Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-10-07
daily ress md Aakataiaa
MlcK.AL DAYlIT.

He Addresses h knights of Labor
fn Convention Mt Minneapolis.
Hon, Mlchesi Davitt was introduced
to the national assembly of knights O
labor at Minneapolis last Monday aud
addressed them Us follovs:
l thank you for the honor OF address,
ing the general assembly OF tne knights
OF labor Your actions and looks tell
me In advance OF the sympathy which [
trust Will be given official EXPRESSION
later. l came here to pespeak your
sympathy for Ireland. There are plenty
OF reasons why we should obtain Tor Ire
iand the commentator of the worlds
greatest labor organization. We seek to
obtain for ireland the full right OF indus.
try and The principles Of agrarian JUS
Lice. ireland is agricultural. We want
Q land aystem that shall be consistent
with the laws of human justice rather
than the selfish laws OF aa hereditary
afistocracy and grssping monopolies.
We seek to accomplish these ends by
our OWE voices. The Irish people and
an Irish parliament can do the work il
they have Q chance. Our movement for
reform has helped similar movements
elsewhere. The working people of Eng
land. Scotland and Wales are friendly
to our fight for home rule, We. have
called attention to the injustice of Eng
land landlordism end 10 it's i'm
portation to America. Some OF
the evils of our land system have stolen
into your country, but railroad land
robbers and monopolists lind it more
difficult to steal your land than before
tbs land league Was formed. So yon are
Aomewhat indebtea to the Irieh move
ment. The protection the interests of
labor Is fest becoming the chief problem
of craftsmanship, and we In Ireland are
hghtinR tie battle of industrial life all
over the world. The struggle of the
masses against the classes is the same
every where. One of our national needs
is to keep the people at home and stop
the tide Of enforced emigration. Ireland
has room for $1,000, 600 people. There
are only 100000 there now, where there
used TO be 100000. At this rate ire
land will soon be depopulated, even
withsn q generation. Ireland may have
become q name Synonymous with power
~ and discomfort, but as our country
has not sinned against civilization in
lighting to be free. we have o right to
pnblic recognition in our endsayor to
possess our p%atrimony. You know not
the ordeal we have passed through in
centuries OF persecution. In all that
time ID people have no record of o
crime committed by them against human
liberty. For forty years England has
systematically carried on the work OF .ex-
p%atrlation. England's territorial arIs-
tooracy is threatened by our movement
and thinks repatriation the only escape
from the danger. Refusing to acquiesce
in cowardiy subseryience is one. Of our
crimes, and immigration becomes the
method by which highlands policy of
expatriation ia carried out. No country
stands more in need OF labor than ours
But England's policy drives it across the
Atlantic for the employment il 10 denied
at home. We are driven to poverty by
laws expressly passed against our
mannfaetnring-an atrociously unjust
and cowaTdiy policy. Emigration under
normal conditions would be right, bat
no economic necessity exists for 1t, but
the reverse. Ireland's thousands of
acres are suffering for want of cuItiva-
tion. When labor reaches your shores
it 10 impoverished. 1t seeks employment
in eastern cities, completes with you and
conflicts with your working classes.
England is really doing her best TO re-
duce your wage rate to the low rate pre-
vailing there. The classes who are ruI.
ing and running Ireland are also trying
to dsiye English-born labor abroad,
England 10 thus killing two birds with
one stone. riding herself of the Celtic ele-
naent and reducing your wofkingmen
to her level Of wages. the workers
claim shat the idle and do-nothing class-
ea should go. Applause. An heredit-
airy aristocraoy ia An enormous evil
that must be swept away. SkonId you
give official expression against the
coercion policy you may offend the
aristoeraoy, but not the toilipg miiions
OF the world. Victory for labor in ire
lend would help you here, | appeal for
your support, You cannot be ind.ffer-
ont to the wrongs OF workers anywhere,
In Europe We have enemies in the
government. You are better off. The
government isloyal to yon, and you to
it. The eyes Of the iaboring clusses of
Europe are upon you and this conven-
%yetion, The spectacle OF your organiza-
tion, loyal to the constitution OF your
country, wcrFing without interference
from the government, gives us pride and
pleasure. We view it with interest aud
expectancy; the classes view it with
alarm. In no part OF the world have
yOu more powerful enemies than. in Lon
don. The Story Of the forcing the
opium trade upon China, the sufferipgs
of enslaved Iudia, the bombardment of
Alexandria, are samples of what
kas been done in the
interest OF English capitalists.
Itt is the same power doing all this that
10 running ireland. IT fears the Irlsh
policy much, but II fears the solidarity
OF Irish, Scotch and English labor more.
What q scene is presented to the friend
of human iiberality to-day in the Irish
%nationi Freedom OF speech is denied,
the jury trial is aboliSaed. the rights OF
the press are trampled under foot to-day
and onr Irish cabins are wrecked by crow
bar brigades, English bayonets driving
the poor from their cots, murder takes
place at Mitchelltown and editors are
Imprisoned because they strive to speak
boldly and truly for human liberty.
Irish Nationalists are entitled in iastice
to pursue the course they do. Scotland
and England largely s~ythpathize with us
and VS. are warranted in believing that
here in the home Of freedom, where la
bore rights are respected and labor pro-
blems solved as never heretofore, we
shall not be denied the sympathy from
your grand organization sbat our peces-
stiles and calamities justly claim. +
thank you for this opportunity. III it is
not impertinent, | pray you be barmoni-
ous and wise, forbeaking and tolerant,
20 that your. enemies may be dissap-
pointed, and your friends have the hap
\ yafnaE6 nj nnyvfpN that rrnrT has han-.